Time Zones Irrelevant to Sports Globalization
False Assumption: Time zone differences pose no barrier to American sports leagues expanding their fanbases and revenues in Europe.
Written by FARAgent on February 10, 2026
Sports executives and media assumed electronic communications would enable global expansion without logistical hurdles. In the 1990s, experts predicted talent would relocate to Hawaii for climate after internet perfected remote work. That failed due to time zone gaps with New York finance. Similarly, college football programs in eastern time zones built national fame via TV, while Pacific schools lagged. UCLA and USC dominated in print era, but cable TV shifted advantage east, hurting Pac-12 recruiting and viability.
Leagues pursued international games for revenue. NFL launched International Series in 2007, reaching 62nd game in Madrid on November 17, 2025, pitting Washington Commanders against Miami Dolphins at 3:30 pm local time, or 6:30 am Pacific. Super Bowl at 6:30 pm EST hits midnight in Madrid. Critics note Europeans prefer soccer; live viewing conflicts with sleep schedules across zones.
Mounting questions arise over practicality. Sports viewership thrives on live broadcasts for ads, but time shifts deter audiences. Pac-12 collapsed partly from western time zone disadvantage, forcing Stanford and Cal to ACC. Leagues persist with plans despite evidence.
People Involved
- In the world of sports journalism, Barry Svrluga stood out as a Washington Post columnist who championed the idea that time zones meant little for global sports growth. He framed international expansion as a straightforward path to more revenue, treating it as an inevitable step forward. Critics argue this view overlooked real barriers, though the debate continues. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“With new customers in their sights, every sports league is going global.”— Changes in Longitude, Changes in Viewerhood
Organizations Involved
The NFL took the lead in pushing global ambitions, staging 62 international games since 2007 and planning a 2025 matchup in Madrid to tap European markets. Mounting evidence challenges whether time zones truly allow such seamless revenue gains. The Pac-12 clung to its western programs, which critics say cut national TV exposure and hastened the conference's collapse. Major sports leagues followed suit with broad marketing efforts abroad, often ignoring live viewing hurdles from time differences. Growing questions surround these strategies' effectiveness. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (3)
“Sunday’s game is the 62nd that America’s most valuable sports league will stage as part of an “International Series” that dates from 2007.”— Changes in Longitude, Changes in Viewerhood
“This has helped bring about the demise of the Pac-12 in football, with Stanford and Cal (Berkeley) joining the Atlantic Coast Conference (!).”— Changes in Longitude, Changes in Viewerhood
“For the NFL, the exercise in global marketing is far more important.”— Changes in Longitude, Changes in Viewerhood
The Foundation
The assumption gained traction from revenue figures, with European soccer pulling in $22 billion against the NFL's $19 billion, and U.S. population splits showing 47 percent in the east versus 16 percent in the Pacific. This fed a sub-belief that TV audiences would chase content regardless of location, even as western teams struggled for visibility. Early on, proponents pointed to electronic communications as a fix, suggesting places like Hawaii could shift operations for better climates. Yet critics argue this ignored practical issues, such as the New York Stock Exchange opening at 3:30 am Hawaii time. The foundation remains debated. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (2)
“At present, about 47% of the population lives in the Eastern zone, 29% in the Central, 7% in the Mountain and 16% in the Pacific.”— Changes in Longitude, Changes in Viewerhood
“Hawaii is a bridge too far in terms of time zones. ... But the NYSE opens at 3:30 am in Hawaii, and there’s no way anybody with a nice job is going to get up at 1:45 am to get into the office.”— Changes in Longitude, Changes in Viewerhood
How It Spread
Media outlets played their part in spreading the notion. The Washington Post ran pieces that hyped international games as savvy business moves, skipping over time zone complications. Sports Illustrated and newspapers once leveled the playing field for fame across regions, but the rise of TV shifted favor to eastern schedules. Critics contend this created a bias that eastern experts failed to question, though the propagation's impact is still contested. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (2)
“From the Washington Post sports section, an article expanding upon the deeper meaning of the NFL game being held in Spain this weekend:”— Changes in Longitude, Changes in Viewerhood
“When I was a kid, college sports fame mostly depended upon newspapers or, most prestigiously, Sports Illustrated, which arrived in the mail on Thursday every week.”— Changes in Longitude, Changes in Viewerhood
Resulting Policies
The NFL put the assumption into action with its International Series starting in 2007, lining up games like a 3:30 pm start in Madrid that hit 6:30 am on the Pacific coast. This aimed to cultivate European fans under the banner of globalization. Mounting evidence challenges if such scheduling truly bridges the gaps, but the policy persists. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“3:30 pm in Madrid, 9:30 am in Miami and Washington, and 6:30 am on the West Coast.”— Changes in Longitude, Changes in Viewerhood
Harm Caused
The Pac-12 football conference crumbled, critics argue, because time zone disadvantages dimmed TV fame and hurt recruiting, sparking a wave of realignments. Hawaii saw its talent pool migrate elsewhere, stalled by similar visibility issues. Western college programs lost ground in national renown as cable TV prioritized eastern times, swaying athletes to other regions. Growing questions surround these harms' full extent. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (2)
“This has helped bring about the demise of the Pac-12 in football, with Stanford and Cal (Berkeley) joining the Atlantic Coast Conference (!).”— Changes in Longitude, Changes in Viewerhood
“Over the years though, appearances on cable TV came to dominate renown, and the two eastern time zones were a lot better for getting big audiences than the two western time zones.”— Changes in Longitude, Changes in Viewerhood
Sources
- [1]